Trapped Soul
by vegie kun
Summary: The ideas of one man lead to Relena's kidnapping. Stricken with grief for past tragedies, he decides to get revenge by using the one thing the Preventer and Gundam pilots can't kill. (Based on the Zero Soul saga and deals with Relena's time with OZ)
1. Prologue: Blue Tears

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing nor will I ever own it. 

Warnings: Mild language and violence

AN: This is a side story to the "Zero Soul" series that focuses on Relena's (Rei's actually) experience during the nine months she was held in OZ and of her thoughts as she was undertaking her missions. Along with that, it will shed more light on what happened to Heero while he was a prisoner of OZ. This series is a bit darker than Zero Soul and both Heero and Relena are beaten at one point or another. If you don't think you can handle that fact then please do not read this. "Trapped Soul" takes place at the beginning of Relena's captivity up to the part before the final confrontation takes place. You don't have to read this in order to understand "Zero Soul," but you have to read "Zero Soul" in order to understand this.  


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**TRAPPED SOUL**

Prologue: Blue Tears 

By: veGie kun

He had left her side not more than a few seconds earlier and already she was feeling pain. The girl didn't want him to leave, but rather stay by her and make her feel safe. It was selfish, she knew that, but she was so tired of being left behind. Always the one to stay put while the others left for battle... the one who was of no use to anyone in a fight. She cursed her weakness and her inability to help the boy who held her heart. Without warning, a strong hand grabbed hers and she was pulled off the ground with a sudden jerk. Those same hands then lifted her off the ground, holding her by the waist, and then took off in a mad dash.

The girl heard gunshots in the background, and her mind froze over with fear. She tried to pivot her head so she could see if anything had happened to him, if he had been the mark for those bullets, but a second body, running behind her and her captor blocked her view. The only thing she could do was cry out. "HEERO! HELP!" Before she knew it a hand clamped tightly over her mouth, and she was refrained from any further verbal communication. Dark eyes glared at her with a warning and she could do nothing but comply.

"Relena!"

He screamed for her; he was alive, and she wanted to call to him but knew it was impossible. _//HEERO!!!//_

*KABOOM*

Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the blast of light make her shadow more defined. Her eyes squeezed shut as she fought back the tears that were quickly escaping her lids. _//Gods... HEERO!!! Please... please let him be okay.//_ She opened her eyes again, but they were rendered ineffective by the thin barrier of wetness that clouded over them. The blur she was seeing soon turned to a haze and her mind suddenly turned black, succumbing to the oblivion. She was exhausted and the stress of the past week had finally caught up to her body as well as her mind.

*****

"Hn."

Her mind was groggy, and her body ached with soreness. The ground under her shook, and she was jolted from her prone position. She tried as hard as she could to open her eyes, but the weariness was still in her, despite her efforts to shake it away. It was still difficult to get re-adjusted and her mind fought desperately to hold onto consciousness. That was when the girl noticed that her hands were bound in front of her. Fear. An alarm sounded in her head, and the emotion washed over her body like never before. Anxiety. She quickly moved her head to the right and left to get an idea of where she was. Her surroundings were dark, but it wasn't too dark for her to identify that she was in the back of a van. The vehicle wasn't that large, just a typical van, but then again, she had no idea of where it was headed. Aquamarine eyes darted to the front and she was able to see the heads of two men who were sitting behind the driver and passenger's seat, respectively. Her eyes scanned the area once more, but they lowered to the van's floor a few seconds later. Defeat.

"Just enjoy the ride, Miss Darlian. It won't be much longer until we reach the rendezvous point," the man behind the passenger seat remarked as he turned his head to face her.

"I demand that you let me go immediately! If you don't then you can bet that they will stop at nothing until they find me!" she defiantly shouted at them, her eyes held both anger and fear.

"You mean those ex-Gundam pilots?" the man queried. "Ha ha ha ha! I'd like to see them try! What can they do without their Gundams?"

"They'll find me!" she protested with all her heart, but doubt was present in that statement. _//I know they'll find me. Relena, you have to be strong... for them... and for Heero. You have to believe in them, you have to show them that you have faith in their abilities...//_

*****

It must have been at least two hours before the van came to a sudden halt in an unknown location. The back doors opened and one of the men reached in and grabbed at her bound hands. The girl tried to inch back but the man was faster and took hold of her hands before she could move any further. With a violent tug, he dragged her outside of the van, causing her to slip and fall onto the ground with a thud. He quickly reached down and grabbed hold of her again, bringing her to her feet. That was when she saw the plane in the middle of the clearing. A sharp object pressed itself into her back and she cringed from the small pain.

"Try anything stupid and you'll find a bullet right through your stomach, Miss Darlian."

She gave a tired sigh and allowed herself to be led onto the plane. To them her face was that of a dignified politician, one that showed no hints of fear for whatever situation she was in; however, the slight quivering of her bottom lip gave that all away. Fortunately, for her, the soldiers didn't notice and she was led to a seat near the cockpit. A hard hand pressed her down into the seat, and the man took the one next to her, gun still pointed at her.

The plane ride took place without much disturbance and Relena was beginning to doubt if her brother and friends were going to find her. She didn't want to lose hope, but when she assessed the situation, escape seemed unlikely. Relena occasionally looked down to her bound hands, testing them to see how tight they were. The man who was guarding her would smirk every time she did this, knowing she would never be able to break free of them. Other than that, the entire trip took place in silence.

*****

"What do you plan to do with me!?" Relena demanded as a soldier shoved her into a dark cell. "If you're going to kill me then I suggest you do it now."

"My, my, my, such spirit and determination," came a condescending voice. Relena looked to the shadow behind the soldier and gazed upon ice-cold blue eyes.

"What do you plan to do with me?" she asked more firmly. "If you think that you can use me to get what you want from the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, then you are sadly mistaken; they would never give in to such demands. And quite frankly I would rather kill myself before I let that happen."

"Oh, we're not going to use you as a bargaining chip, but we do plan to use you for something," the man replied with a sinister gleam in his eyes. Suddenly, another soldier appeared from behind and proceeded towards the man.

"General Whitenburg, sir!" the soldier saluted. "The doctors are ready to begin."

"Good," came the cold reply as he continued to eye Relena in the cell.

  
-to be continued-  


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So, does it sound interesting so far? This prologue is based on chapter 3 of Zero Soul, so if you what to know what happened to Heero, read that section. Well, you don't have to read this in order to understand Zero Soul, but do read that story before you read this one. Like I said before, this fic deals more with what happened to Relena, so you won't see a lot of the other characters in it, gomen nasai. Along with that it might take from a week to two weeks, or even more for these chapters to come out; my homework load has just doubled. Send your comments or questions or I might just give up on this project. Ja ne  



	2. Bloodstained Visions

Disclaimer: I only own Gundam Wing in my dreams. [Strange man in a well tailored dark navy blue suit appears and whispers in Vegie-kun's ear] WHAT?! I can't own it there either? This sure sucks! 

Warnings: Mild language, violence, and angst

AN: Okay, now it's time to really get started on the Trapped Soul saga. I'm not entirely sure if this series is gonna match up to Zero Soul since it won't include all the Gundam Wing characters (almost all of them) and will involve more of Relena and my original characters instead. You have been warned.  


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**TRAPPED SOUL**  
Chapter 1: Bloodstained Visions

By: veGie-kun

"Let go of me!" Relena screamed when two soldiers took hold of both her arms. The young girl winced in pain as she felt their firm grip on her wrist and lower arm. She struggled against them despite the fact that she weighed half of much as they did and was a good foot shorter as well.

"Miss Darlian," came General Whitenburg's condescending voice, "this will go much more smoothly if you would just cooperate. We really don't want any harm to come to you and if you keep this up, we are very sure that it might."

"What makes you think that I have any intentions of making this easy for you?!" she shot back furiously. "I'm going to do all I can to make this difficult!" Once more, the girl tired to break free from her captors' grip, failing miserably as she did so. _//Dammit! They're too strong for me.//_

As Relena continued to fight, Whitenburg carefully made his way inside until he was directly in front of her. He moved to cup her delicate face in a calloused hand: hands made hard by years of battle and piloting mobile suits. Bringing his face close to hers, the General whispered in a low and dangerous voice. "I don't think that it's wise to keep on resisting us; you might get killed."

The young diplomat glared at him with unbridled defiance and gave a response of her own. "I'd rather die than help you bring this world into another era of war."

Whitenburg couldn't help but smirk at that comment, giving off a low laugh as well. "What," he began rather amused, "good do you think you'll be to this world and its people if you're dead? Even if you do die, we'll still continue with this project. The only real difference is that we will no longer have you to deal with and get in our way."

Those words made Relena draw back and fall silent. She averted her gaze from his and resigned herself to stare at the cold, metallic floor. The older man saw her expression and smiled over his little victory. "Yes, Miss Darlian, this world depends greatly on you. Despite your young age, or maybe it's because of it, you've become a symbol of peace to them." He cocked an eyebrow when she didn't respond to his statement but continued anyways, "I think that it's rather sad to have let something like that fester so. It's become so bad, the people will almost undoubtedly go to war without you around to police them. They've all become so dependent on you that your death will most likely bring about chaos."

".... If I die," Relena finally spoke up, the spark of fight still in her eyes, "I will become a martyr to peace and the people will mend their ways."

"Really now?" The man was quite amused with that last statement.

"Yes," she replied, "everyone needs his or her martyrs.... so, as I see it, I'd do more good dead than I would alive."

To her annoyance, the man only chuckled and shook his head. "How will they know whether or not you're dead if they can't find your body?"

Her mind was completely frozen over with shock and fear. "!" A pain pierced her arm and her head shot up to see one of the soldiers holding a needle and syringe. A terrifying heat surged through her veins and a wave of dizziness threatened to engulf her as the girl fought with all her remaining strength to prevent from succumbing to whatever drug she was injected with. _//He... he was only... distracting me....//_ Within a few seconds her eyelids slid shut and her head lolled forward, unconscious.

"It really didn't have to be this way, Miss Darlian, but you left us no other options," he stated, taking a finger and tracing it lightly across her jaw line; a hurt-filled look gracing his defined facial features. _//We really had no intentions of seeing you come to harm...// _"Take her to the lab," the General commanded the soldiers.

"Yes, sir!" they shouted, giving a salute before slipping out of the cell door with Relena's slumped body in tow. 

The General followed close behind them and the small group made their way towards an elevator located at the end on the corridor. As they walked, many of the working OZ soldiers stopped to look at the captive girl. Their expressions were unreadable and they lost interest as soon as the group reached the elevator. Once inside, Whitenburg took out a small plastic card from the breast pocket of his uniform and slipped it into a slot underneath the button panel. He proceeded to press a button with the letter 'B' on it, and the compartment began to move down. The General was taking the Vice Foreign Minister to a secret area of the underground Siberian base restricted to all those who didn't own a key card.

_//Operation ZERO... schliesslich... it's finally going to begin.//_ The man mused as they went even further underground. Operation ZERO was a project that was highly classified, even amongst the OZ organization. Only a few OZ personnel actually knew of the project, and they consisted of Treize Khushrenada, Duke Dermail, and a General by the name of Stevens who died in the Eve Wars, Dereks, and himself. All of them had very high expectations of the Tamashii units and the new breed of soldiers they would churn out. What made it even more appealing was the fact that the project's success would mean unlimited use of the ZERO system; however, that was before they discovered that the mind-warping program was able to bypass certain functions of the Tamashii units.

That part of the Operation was deemed a failure but after endless months of additional research, they'd been able to come up with some kind of explanation and a way to deal with the complications. Of course, that explanation narrowed down their field of choices for pilots who would engage the ZERO system. In order to master the ZERO system, one had to have a will and determination that rivaled the need to breathe and survive. Although the soldiers they had were quite dedicated to serving OZ, they just didn't have it in them to give everything they had. True soldiers such as those were rare these days... heck, throughout history, one would only be able to name a handful.

They were taking a chance with this girl; everyone had their arguments and reasons not to have her as their test pilot. Despite it all, Whitenburg had remained unfazed and stood firmly by with his decision. Once that happened there was little anyone could do to change his mind. His quiet nature and unyielding attitude was what gave the others an impression of silent strength and courage, but also a coldness that matched the depths of space. Few knew of his compassionate side, yet, that was before that fateful day at New Edwards when the peace loving faction of the Alliance was murdered. A time before Whitenburg lost the one thing in his life that actually meant a damn. It almost seemed like a lifetime ago, but that memory would always remain fresh in his mind.

Pivoting his head a bit over his shoulder, the man gazed at the unconscious form of the girl. His face betrayed nothing as he examined the Vice Foreign Minister._ //You're strong... just like she was, so I know this will work.//_ After about a minute or so, the General turned his attention back onto the lights that indicated the floors, setting all other thoughts and emotions aside.

*****

From the second level walkway, he had watched the General depart into the elevator with a stone mask that would have made even Heero Yuy proud; however, after they were inside and out of sight, the stony exterior became one of disgust and loathing. "Fools!" he spat out under his breath as he turned on his heels and stalked off towards his personal chambers. _//They're all idiots if they think they can turn that little girl into their so-called 'Perfekt Soldat'. Last I heard, that title was reserved for that former Gundam pilot of WingZERO. Just because they have his training archives doesn't mean the end result will be the same.//_

With his hands clasped behind his back, he strode along the metal platform, nodding his head to the lower officers that greeted and saluted him. _//For heaven's sake, she can't even operate the most basic of mobile suits! What in the world would make them think that she stands a chance of piloting the successor to Epyon? Damn Julian for his misguided view about this entire situation!... She's just a child... how can anyone turn a child into a cold-blooded, killing machine without feeling any remorse?... Why should I even care? The girl means nothing to me; she's only an obstacle that stands between me and history.//_

"We're risking too much," he sighed, making his way down the stairs into the corridor. "He's so blinded by loss that he doesn't even realize why he really chose her as the test pilot... Humph, weak, pathetic, wretched girl... once you fail to become one with the ZERO system then I'll be the one to become its master." _//They should have chosen me from the very beginning, and then we would have been spared the added loss in skilled soldiers. How many of our- MY men never came back from that mission? ELEVEN!!! Gottverdammt!! Eleven of my men are now missing, possibly dead, and for what? A pacifist!.... Humph, no use getting mad now.... stupid fools...//_ Resigning into silence, he completed the remainder of his journey without any more thoughts of Whitenburg or the Vice Foreign Minister.

*****

The room was a mixture of whites and grays, quite spacious with lots of machines that did who knew what. Four men in white lab coats were currently residing in the lab, each hunched over at a specific station. The youngest, a man with dark brown skin, was seated in front of a computer, typing away at a new program with a mug of coffee to his right. Across the room was another man with black hair and a beard, checking the machines as he wrote on forms secured to his clipboard. A few feet from him was a man with graying brown hair who was overlooking a few documents and activating many of the machines as he did so. The last and eldest of the four, a man with white hair and beard, stood at the examination table, something similar to the one Heero Yuy was strapped to while in the Alliance hospital.

All their heads quickly snapped into attention as the metal door of the lab beeped and slid open. Whitenburg was the first to enter, followed be the two soldiers carrying the test subject. The OZ commander said nothing, only giving a flick of his wrist, telling the soldiers to move their prisoner to the examination table. They did so without question and in a matter of minutes, they had the girl securely fastened to it.

"Dismissed," the General commanded. They acknowledged the order and gave a salute before leaving the room. "You had better be ready," he stated to the doctors, fixing them a dangerous look.

"Indeed we are," replied the eldest doctor, gesturing to the machines that had been painstakingly set up during the past five hours.

"So, what's first on the agenda?" Whitenburg queried as he threaded a path to where the examination table lay. "Will the Tamashii units be planted on her tonight?"

"I'm afraid not," the old man replied as he stared into the girl's face, "We need to see how her mind deals with the programming first. Any complications that she might have now could manifest itself into something bigger and more troublesome later on. There is always the possibility that her mind could reject the personality we've created and the same goes for her body and the extra chemicals that will be generated."

"You remember the failures that we had in the past, don't you, General?" asked the man with graying brown hair. "Not everyone can handle the effects of the Tamashii units."

"I remember," the other man confirmed, "but this girl is different from them all."

"How so?" questioned the dark skinned doctor.

Whitenburg turned to the other man and gave him a knowing smile. "Unlike the other subjects we've had, she," he motioned his head to the unconscious form, "is used to dealing with large amounts of mental stress."

"I hope you're correct on that one," the eldest doctor remarked as he began to hook electrodes and wires onto Relena's head. "But what will you do if this should fail?"

"Simple," Whitenburg began as he strode over to the doctor, "we'll just have to capture someone who has already mastered the ZERO system."

"Y-you don't mean-" the bearded doctor stuttered.

"Either Heero Yuy or Zechs Merquise," the OZ officer finished, "but, unlike Miss Darlian, they won't be as easy to obtain. Zechs Merquise, or should I say the current prince of the Sank Kingdom, Milliard Peacecraft, was a former Specials officer and Gundam pilot. He's more than capable of defending himself and that's not even accounting for the added protection the Preventers give him."

"What about that former Gundam pilot, Heero Yuy?" the white-haired doctor mused.

"Where do you think we should start looking?" Whitenburg asked in a humored tone. "According to all our data, Heero Yuy has disappeared off the face of the Earth and is no where to be found on the colonies. Don't you think that we have been trying to locate him? We're not even sure if he's still alive or not."

"Then would that mean that you'll be going after Miss Darlian's brother?" the old doctor questioned.

To this the General chuckled, a frightening laugh that sent chills down the doctors' spines. "We won't need to; she's all we'll require for Operation ZERO to succeed."

"Maybe," the old man whispered as he finished attaching the last electrodes onto Relena's temples. "Start the program now," he ordered the doctor with the black beard.

"Yes, sir."

*****

The girl's eyes slowly fluttered opened; the first thing that came to her field of vision was a blood red sky littered with clouds. As far as the eye could see, it was nothing but that damning red. The girl gasped at the crimson scene but discovered that her voice had abandoned her. In fear, she shouted into the air and to her astonishment, nothing came out. Over and over again she tried to call out to the open land only to hear the rustling of wind through half withered trees. There was a look of horror plastered on her face as she shifted her gaze to the ground: a battlefield with countless numbers of bodies strewn everywhere. They appeared to be human, soldiers and civilians, yet many were too mangled to actually identify as such. From their bodies flowed a river of blood: bright, fluid, and never ending. Her eyes widened and she gaped at the sight, bringing her hands to her mouth to suppress the urge to vomit. Recovering after a few minutes of trying to regain her composure, a dull pain inside her mind caused her to cringe and Relena fell to her knees. _//Where... where am I? What is this place?... Heero? Heero! Where are you?! Heero?! Milliard?! Noin?! Duo?! Anyone?!.... Help....//_

The sky exploded with artillery and the girl brought her hands up to cover her head and shield herself from the debris that landed. Soon afterwards, the sound of gunfire and bombs filled the area and Relena quickly got to her feet. She was alone, defenseless, confused, scared, and desperate, so she did the only thing that came to mind; she ran. Across the shell-ridden dirt, the girl ran, her heart pounding forcefully against her chest as the girl began to heave in large amounts of air. The frightened young woman had no destination in mind; she only knew that she had to get away; away from the noise, the explosion, the unseen enemies that she knew lurked nearby.

Her vision soon blurred as hot tears streamed down her cheeks and her lungs burned with the need for more oxygen._ //This is no time to be crying... no time to be weak...//_ After running for an undeterminable amount of time her legs soon ached from the pressure of pounding against the hard earth. _//Can't stop... can't stop running... mustn't stop running... they'll catch me if I do...// _Ignoring the pain that threatened to consume her whole, she trekked on with an endurance that came only with fear. It seemed as if she would keep on running forever across the darkening land..."!"

*Thud*

Having been careless with where she was going, Relena hadn't noticed how rough the terrain had become and tripped over a large stone. Immediately she felt a concentrated stinging in her right ankle as well as minor tinges on the palms of her hands from where she braced herself on the ground. Gritting her teeth she tried to pay it no heed but found that she couldn't, gripping the injury in a vise-like hold to try and numb out the pain. While all her thoughts now centered on her likely sprained ankle, a dark shadow appeared and loomed over her huddled form. Aquamarine eyes grew wide as she acknowledged the ominous figure. Taking much caution, less she be killed on the spot, the young diplomat slowly turned her body around to face the new threat.

_//Wha-//_ The sun was right behind the tall, slender form, making it seem like nothing more than an apparition caused by stress and severe heat. She brought up an arm to shield her vision as her eyes squinted to try and make out the form, her injury forgotten. _//Who?... Heero?!//_ The sudden notion that the figure could be Heero quickly brought her to her feet; however, her ankle was too weak to support her. The girl lost her footing and tumbled backwards but not before the shadow darted out a hand and caught her own, pulling her forward in one swift motion.

"!" Relena slammed into the figure's chest and her fingers clung onto the material of its shirt, her eyes shut from the collision. Opening them reluctantly, her heart was on edge as she anticipated her savior's identity. Gently pushing herself away to take in the full image her mind froze and her heart constricted. _//Wha-what's going on?...//_

The savior who she had previously guessed as Heero Yuy was a girl with waist length, honey blonde hair and deep crimson eyes; it was herself and yet it was not. The image was clad in an OZ uniform and had a presence about her that reminded the young diplomat of Heero when she had first met him. Gripped with shock and confusion, the Vice Foreign Minister could do nothing except to stare at her mask-like face, her cold exterior, and her empty, ruby orbs. _//What is this? Who is this? Me?... It-it can't be...// _An eerie silence descended upon the battlefield and, at that moment, nothing else seemed to exist with the exception of the mesmerizing, blood red gaze. 

In that instant, the usually calm and dignified diplomat had reverted into a child; lost, confused, and frightened with the outside world. All forms of comprehension had been lost and Relena began to back away from the imposing doppelganger. In an attempt to retreat, the girl spun around and made ready to take off when a hand shot out and held her stationary. Relena tried to pry herself free but its grip was too strong and she suddenly found herself being pulled forward until her face was mere centimeters from the other. "We are one... and in the end we are zero," it said in a voice void of all known human emotion, pulling her closer until their foreheads touched and even further still until they seemingly merged.

_//Let go off me!!// _Her psyche screamed with ferocity but it was left unheard, then they were a single being, an entity composed of everything and nothing all in one. Her surroundings disappeared completely, replaced with never ending white noise. When her sight was restored, she was holding a gun and aiming it at a target directly in her path. Once the illumination dimmed, the being identified her target as a blonde youth with a starry, blued-eyed gaze.

*BANG*

The trigger was pulled and as soon as the bullet made contact with the boy, the image ripped itself into shreds. However, she wasn't done; the next image that appeared was that of a young Asian man, somewhat taller than the previous, with the darkest obsidian orbs.

*BANG*

Like the one before him, he was gone with nothing more than the flick of a finger. After the Asian boy, was the image of a rather tall youth, somewhat thin for his age, with the look of a dead man.

*BANG*

And he was gone as well, but this time his form was replaced with that of a girl; however, upon closer inspection, its broad shoulders and lack of hips, betrayed its true gender. He had a cocky grin on his boyish face, but that didn't save him from his fate.

*BANG*

Everything became white noise once more and the creature thought it was all over. Before that thought could take root in its mind, the lights were abruptly turned off as if someone had suddenly pulled a lever, cutting off all power. Her new enemy: a Japanese youth with Prussian blue eyes and spiky, dark brown hair. Like a mirror reflection, he also held a gun and had it locked on her.

"Omae o korosu," they both stated emotionlessly, and then the triggers were pulled.

*****

"AAAHHHHH!!!!!" Relena's head jerked off the examination table; her body would have followed if her wrists and ankles had not strapped down. "Huff huff huff huff huff huff..." Her breathing was quick and there was a light sheen of sweat covering her forehead. Sea green eyes darted to the left and right in anxiety until they locked their sights onto a tall figure with jet-black hair and icy blue eyes standing close by.

"Hmmm, I didn't think the drug would wear off in such a short expanse of time," the eldest doctor remarked. "Did you give her the right amount, sir?" he asked peering in the direction of the man who hovered above the awakened girl.

"Of course I did," Whitenburg answered in a dangerous tone. "It was probably her own doing; she's not one to be underestimated... What are the results of the test? Will her mind and body accept the Tamashii units?"

"Well," began the brown-skinned doctor, "except for a slight fluctuation of her heart rate and brainwaves in the earlier stages, there doesn't seem to be any complications whatsoever. Her brain seems to have accepted the program and the program seems to have accepted her."

"Excellent," the other man replied, lifting his hand to brush away some strands of hair that clung to the girl's wet forehead. "Did you hear that?" he whispered to her in a gentle voice, "She has already chosen you."

  
-to be continued-  


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AN: The strange dream that Relena experienced was not the Tamashii program in itself, they were just scenes and images she saw while the program was running. The actual program was just to see how many of her thoughts and memories would conflict with the 'Rei' personality and OZ soldier instincts.

German words:

Gottverdammt= God dammit  
Perfekt Soldat= Perfect Soldier  
schliesslich= at last

Okay, that's one chapter down... some odd chapters more to go. I would like to say something first before I continue on... Ahem... "I AM STILL A STUDENT!" I'm sorry if it's taking a while to put out the chapters to all my fics but you must understand that I don't have the luxury of writing whenever I please anymore. Right now I'm juggling my schoolwork, extracurricular activities, the Red Cross, my family, friends, enemies, art, this, my own anime project, plus my tedious hunt for scholarships to pay for my college tuition. There's just too much to juggle around and I'm not a very good juggler; seriously, I can't even juggle two beanbags. All I ask of you is to please be patient, okay? Oh, one more thing, if you're wondering, this is not the experience that Relena recalled in the prisoner's cell in chapter 4 of Zero Soul.  



	3. Ruby Tears

Disclaimer: Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, ANB, TV Asahi, and Bandai Entertainment own all rights to Gundam Wing and its characters. I am not making any money off of this nor do I intend to use it for commercial purposes. 

Warnings: Language and violence. 

AN: veGie was very sleepy when veGie wrote this so please bear with me people; some parts might not seem to make sense. However, at the time veGie wrote this, it made absolutely perfect sense.  


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**TRAPPED SOUL**  
Chapter 2: Ruby Tears

By: veGie-kun

Pain. An acute pain. An acute throbbing pain. It pierced through her consciousness like a well-sharpened knife and the girl woke up gasping for air. Blood. Her world was nothing but a deep crimson color and she was its sole occupant, a lone figure that offset the bleeding sea. Her eyes darted left and right, searching for another human soul yet discovered there was no one else. _//This has happened before.//_ The scene was curiously familiar to her, something that just wouldn't go away. _//Why must it always be the same?//_

A flash of lightening rippled through the scarlet space and the area resonated with loud, deafening screams. It was a haunting chorus; like a thousand voices heralding the coming of a new God.... or a new destroyer. Terrifying, yet beautiful at the same time, it shattered whatever thoughts tried to create an existence in her mind. It was the song of death, spewing forth from the mouths of the dead and the dying. Endless. Like the ocean, it seemed as if the dreadful song would continue on forever._ //Go away!//_ She screamed covering her ears with soft, delicate hands, desperate to drown out the noise that stalked her every waking hour and chased her in her nightmares.

The girl's knees buckled and she fell to the floor, her hands still fighting to suppress the torturous cries. Through the agony, the young woman knew what to expect next; it had been the same way for the past few nights. A bright light exploded nearby. Like a gentle breeze, it left as quickly as it came, leaving behind a slender form before its departure. _//Go away!!//_ The girl cried again but this time it was directed at the approaching figure. It walked towards her regardless; the pace slow, steady... predatory. Escape was futile, this the girl knew very well. _//Someone... please help me...//_

*****

"AAAHHHHH!!!!" Relena woke up with a start, her breathing short and rapid. "The same damn dream... always the same..." she whispered to the confining walls of the prisoner's cell.

It had been three days already since she had awakened in that strange room strapped to an examination table. After the men in the white lab coats had collected all the data they'd needed, she was taken back to her cell... and that was when the nightmares began. Every time she tried to sleep, the visions of that red-eyed girl would come, along with the death cries of the people. Even when she just bordered on the edge of sleep, the cold OZ soldier would appear. Over the past three days, the visions had become so increasingly frequent the young girl soon feared even closing her eyes.

She had already checked the tiny room twice over and discovered that escape was next to impossible. In addition to that was the light, or lack-there-of, that OZ seemed to provide her. Already she was weary of the darkness yet had adjusted to it enough so she no longer stumbled over her own feet when she walked. In her dim surroundings, Relena was able to make out the bed in which she slept in. Looking to the floor, she spied the food tray and its half-eaten provisions. They were kind enough to give her regular meals yet her suspicion about the food being drugged prevented her from eating all that was on there. Her brother, Noin, and the Preventers had drilled it into her head to never trust food offered by the enemy.

Although her eyes still rested on the tray, her mind and stomach were far from the subject of food. Truth be told she had no appetite left, the bloody scenes in her nightmare causing her to teeter on the edge of vomiting. Her body was also aching and sore from the lack of exercise denied to her. _//Why don't they just kill me already? I'd rather die than go through anymore of this....//_ She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, laying on her side on the semi-soft mattress. Despair was creeping onto her once more and all the things in the world were soon forgotten.

Everything ceased to exist; the coldness of the cell, the slight humming of the vents, the fact that she had not had a change of clothing since her capture, even her own heartbeat was no longer audible to her. Seeming to fade away, she detached herself from the world. It was the only thing she could do to block out the pain and loneliness.... by blocking out everything else. Sweet oblivion. Painless and numbing. 

Her stay in that blissful emptiness was brief though; soon her paradise was shattered with the sounds of footsteps on metal floors.

*tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap* *tap*

They halted directly outside her door and it was silent again. The familiar beeping of pressed button keys made their way through the metal barrier and *whoosh*, the door slid open. Silhouetted by the light, three figures stood in the entrance. Relena was jolted to her senses with the unwanted intrusion and once again she placed on her stern, diplomatic mask. She hated wearing the thing, but without it, everyone would see her weaknesses; they would see that she was scared. Fear had no place in the world of politics and while she was unable to completely destroy it, she had learned to hide it well.

The tall shadow in the middle stepped forward and immediately Relena was on the offensive. "What do you want?!" she asked firmly, her eyes making contact with ice blue.

"You're awake," Whitenburg stated with an amused tone. Not wasting time, he motioned for the two other soldiers with a wave of his right hand.

The girl tried to evade their advances but they were quicker, despite their size. One of the soldiers intercepted her, took hold of her thin shoulders while the other came from behind, and blindfolded her. This seemed rather odd to Relena but she had no time to idle in such trivial details. She was in trouble and if she didn't do anything, it could all be over for her._ //I can't let it end this way!//_ After struggling for about a minute she had slipped through her captor's grasp. The fact that she was still blindfolded hadn't even occurred to her, the girl just ran straight ahead. For a moment, hope formed inside her heart, but, like anything that always seemed too good to be true, it was blown away. A large hand came out of nowhere and roughly pushed her back into the custody of the two soldiers.

"You see, gentlemen," she heard Whitenburg say; "it pays to remember to bring the tranquilizer." Relena felt him move closer to her but he stopped when he was about a foot away. "Too weak to escape?" he mused almost mockingly. "Well, once we're done with you, getting out of a cell will be nothing more than child's play." The young diplomat mentally cringed at those words, not knowing what they meant yet knowing that it was not something to look forward to. "Come," the general began, "it's time to formally introduce you to our special soldier."

*****

"Huff huff huff huff..." the young man breathed in a steady tone as he continued to do pushups from the floor of his dormitory. He was clad only in his uniform pants, his top completely absent. His lean body glistened with a light sheen of sweat and many strands of reddish-blond hair clung to his moistened forehead. With every push of his strong arms, the muscles in both his limbs and back rippled with fluid poetry.

One could tell that he had been at it for quite some time already and one glance at his unwavering brown eyes told that he wasn't about to stop anytime soon. His handsome face strained a bit as he brought himself down then up again. A drop of sweat fell from his cheek and into the small pool that had formed within the last hour. Every inch of his body ached and screamed for the masochistic captain to stop his self-torture but his mind was elsewhere. _//Jene arroganten Bastarde!//_ A dark scowl crossed his face as he thought about the evening's 'special' event. _//I can't believe they're still going through with this! Am I the only voice of reason left in this place!? Am I the only one who can see the repercussions involved with letting an outsider inside of OZ!?//_ His brows knitted together as his mind went aflame with anger, remembering the conversation with Whitenburg earlier that morning.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_Sounds of pounding metal and welding torches were heard from every corner of the large, warehouse type section of the base. Dozens of engineers and mechanics ran back and forth across the entire expanse of the floor, scrambling with great earnest. Everyone held either tools, blueprints or clipboards in his or her hand and a few of them had donuts in his or her mouth. Along with those on the floor, numerous other soldiers were on the metal walkway that hung at least fifteen feet off the ground. _

_The object of their worries was the strange, large, metallic beast that lay on its back in the center of the underground hangar. By the looks of it, the machine was nearly finished in its production; the only parts still missing were its right hand, parts of its face and half of its chest. For now one could say it still lay in slumber waiting to rise and deliver upon the world untold havoc and chaos. Its color spoke of its purpose, its existence in this world. Red was for all the blood that it would shed onto the Earth. It was a killing machine and nothing more and nothing less. Soon this terrifying monster would awaken to the call of its master, its one and only master; a girl that abhorred the death and killing that was to be its christening._

_Amongst the hustle and bustle of the crowd below them, two men walked side by side atop a walkway directly above the sleeping beast. The one with cold blues eyes had a superior grin on his face as he oversaw the construction. //This is more than I could have hoped for. Everything is right on schedule; in about two weeks, the New Epyon will be fully functional and once we equip Miss Darlian with the Tamashii units, we can install the ZERO system in it as well. Then the Earth and colonies will finally be able to see OZ's glorious resurrection... I'll be able to keep my promise to-//_

_"Brechen Sie das Projekt ab," his brown-eyed companion remarked unexpectedly._

_Hearing that, the older man turned around to meet the other's gaze. There was somewhat of a confused look on his face but it set into a stern mask. "Wie bitte?" he queried dryly. //Is he still complaining about this? Give it up Samuel, I won't go back now, I've come too far to just abandon this project.//_

_"You're putting all our lives in danger by making her a part of OZ," his tone was of controlled anger._

_Whitenburg chuckled softly, "Are you that afraid of a little girl?" He couldn't hold back the amusement he felt at the thought._

_Apparently, the younger man didn't find that comment in the least bit humorous and glared. "It's not the girl," he seethed under his breath, "it is all those people who'll come looking for her. If you haven't noticed, she's the Vice Foreign Minister of the E.S.U.N. Don't you think they'll try everything in their powers to track her down and reclaim her?" Dereks took a deep breath then continued, "If they do that, they'll eventually find us. Do you think they will be kind to us after what we did? Think about it! We'll be risking the lives of all the soldiers here! I don't know about you, especially after the last two years, but I don't want that to happen! I care about my men and I will not have them throw away their lives over such a dangerous plan!"_

_Again, the older man chuckled, "You worry too much, Samuel. Try to have a little more faith in OZ's capabilities, will you? We've made sure to account for almost any and all eventualities that might hinder us."  
  
"Aber-"  
  
"Ich lehne ab, Unbotmassigkeit zuzulassen!" he briskly remarked. "Now, let's continue onwards, shall we? I wonder how they're progressing with the heat sword?..." He resumed his walk leaving behind a frustrated and glowering man to stare at his retreating form._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

Pushing up one last time, the captain suddenly stopped, his face dripping with sweat. As the drops rolled down his cheeks and forehead, the exhausted officer stared absentmindedly at the ground and the small pool of wetness. _//I have to stop doing this to myself...// _Before he knew it, his arms wobbled and gave way and he fell onto the floor with a loud thud. The cold surface, combined with his drying sweat, made his body shiver yet he did not attempt to escape it. Through the stillness, he became aware of his raging heart, pounding at an incredible pace._ //Sie storrischer Dummkopf... you'll get us all killed.... Anna... tell me what I'm supposed to do... helfen Sie mir...//_ The exhaustion was too much and the darkness instantly engulfed him.

*****

The metal door slid shut and the four figures walked in; one was more hesitant than the other three. Relena kept on struggling with all her might, even though her strength was no match against that of the larger men. She could sense many other presences in the room and mentally took note to be weary of them and what they could do to her. Thoughts of her first experience in that lab came back to her and the young diplomat had to suppress a shudder that went down her spine. _//I have to stay strong. I can't show them that I'm scared... Heero would do the same thing... I have to be like him if I'm going to survive this... Heero... where are you? Why haven't you found me yet?//_ "Ah-" A sharp pain pierced her left arm and suddenly her veins were filled with liquid fire. It coursed through her entire system until the pain became too unbearable and she fell unconscious.

"Strap her onto the table face down and then leave," Whitenburg commanded firmly. The two soldiers gave a quick nod and salute then moved to place the sedated girl onto the examination table. Out of the corner of both their eyes, they saw their commanding officer motion his right hand and so the two proceeded to fasten the straps on Relena's wrists and ankles and the strap meant for her neck. Should the 'patient' ever wake up accidentally during the operation, mishaps will be prevented. Without a second glance, the soldiers exited the lab, leaving the young girl to the mercy of the doctors and the general.

"Are we ready to being, gentlemen?"

As if on cue, the four doctors took up their posts beside the table, the one with graying brown hair stood near the diplomat's head, he was going to do the actual operation while the dark-skinned younger man assisted. The younger man began by placing an oxygen mask over her mouth and sticking an IV into her left arm. The one with black hair and beard monitored her vital signs, taking care to look for any fluctuations or anything out of the ordinary. Foreseeing the entire procedure was the eldest doctor who stood near the machinery.

"Will we be needing to shave off all her hair like the others, sir?" the brown-haired doctor inquired.

Unsure of the answer, the aged man turned towards the General for orders. "Just shave off the areas where the units will be implanted. Her hair can be used to mask the unit's presence to our enemies should she lose her helmet," he stated with furrowed brows. "Besides," his voice lightened up in humor, "she has such lovely hair. It would be a shame if we were to cut it all off... Yes, such a shame..." Gathering up all his thoughts, he nodded to the doctors and they began once again.

Taking hold of an electric shaver, the dark-skinned man started to remove the hair at the base of her skull, shifting her honey blonde locks to the side to make sure the rest was out of harm's way. He continued with his work with small sections of hair just above each ear taking care not to knick the girl's sensitive skin. With a signal from his colleague, he reached over to the tray near him to retrieve a bottle of antiseptic and a cotton swab. After dipping the small object inside the bottle, he rubbed the chemical over the shaven areas, making sure not to miss a spot.

"Are you done?" his companion asked, receiving a nod as his reply. "Okay, scalpel," he ordered extending his right hand, ready to take hold of the instrument.

*****

A little girl sat silently on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood. Her head buried in her little palms as she wept; her face was smeared with dirt and her clothes were none the better. She looked like such a feeble and pathetic figure in that crimson sea, but she paid it no mind she just kept on crying. The child's sobs soon became louder and before long, that sound echoed throughout the entire landscape. A few crystalline tears escaped through her little fingers, followed by another tear and then another, causing small little ripples as it hit the red water. With every drop, they gradually took on a deeper color until they matched the same hue as the dampness below them. 

*****

The young captain woke with start and he slowly scanned his surroundings, feeling a bit foolish since he already knew that nothing was amiss with his room. His perspiration had dried long ago, leaving behind a cool sensation that made his body tingle. Brushing aside his still damp hair, he gazed at the florescent light through his slightly obscured bangs. He moaned as he moved sore muscles, struggling to get into a simple sitting position. Glancing at the wall clock, he was struck with a sudden urge to leave and see something for himself. Shaking off the cold, he quickly scrambled for his discarded shirt lying on his dresser and rushed out the door before it was even on.

_//I might already be too late too stop them... but... I have to see this for myself... I have to see if this is real or just some damned dream of mine.//_ Running down the corridor, Dereks clumsily tried to insert the correct arm into the correct sleeve, nearly tripping over himself when he turned the corner in order to make it to the elevator. As he ran, many of the soldiers who were idly walking by stared at him with startled eyes. All of them always saw the Captain as a calm and collected individual who could keep a straight face through any situation. Imagine their surprise when they saw the man bolt out of his room without any warning, nearly taking down three other officers who happened to pass by his quarters. He was like a human bulldozer, running over bodies with little care or a word of apology.

Once he managed to put the right sleeves on, he dove into the pockets of his pants, not even bothering with his shirt's buttons. Within seconds, he pulled out a small key card then redoubled his efforts to reach the elevator before it took off. Luckily for him, no one had any use for its services and he literally jumped in when its doors opened. His haste was clouding his mind and he nearly fumbled with the key card when he made to insert it into the slot. _//Why the hell am I so worried about this? It's not like I care about what happens to the girl. Nein, it's OZ that I care about and there is no way I'm letting her presence taint this organization!//_

His descent into the lab below allowed him time to cool down, reorganize his thoughts, and button up his shirt. What good would he be to OZ if he kept on worrying like that? He released a soft sigh and leaned against the elevator walls to ease the pressures on his feet; the trip seemed to be taking a bit longer than it used to but that was probably due to his anxiety. Before he knew it, he had reached his destination and rushed out the small compartment once its doors were open.

*****

The brown-haired doctor slowly placed a small, triangular object over the tiny slit that he had made moments earlier. He was careful in his movements; he had to make sure the device was positioned in the correct location or the signals they would send to the girl's body would be misdirected. If that was the case, then she would be useless and they would have to try again at a later time. As the objects made contact with her scalp, he pressed on it so that the unit's three sharp tips would embed themselves into her skin. It was deep enough to allow the signals easy transmission without causing irritation or discomfort to her body.

Pressing on the device with mild force, a drop of blood seeped out and hit the cold, metal floor just as Captain Dereks made his way to the table. "Dammit," he cursed under his breath, staring with horrified eyes at the still body. His eye sought out those of his commander and he found him right across the room. "You really did it, didn't you?" he asked, unable to accept the scene in front of him. The man opposite of him just smiled with his cold blue eyes and the younger one discovered that he was unable to hold his gaze.

"If you were planning on stopping this, then you should have gotten here earlier," Whitenburg replied nonchalantly as if the subject matter were a daily event.

For a few seconds the captain was silent before he made his response, "I wasn't planning on interfering; I just wanted to see if this was real or not. I had hoped that this joke was nothing more than a nightmare brought about by too much work, yet I see that I was mistaken." Shifting his sight to the unconscious body of the young diplomat and his eyes hardened. "She's an abomination!" he seethed with barely subdued fury.

"That's your opinion, Samuel," the general retorted as he strode towards the head of the table and lovingly patted the girl's golden tresses, ignoring the fuming officer who glared daggers at him. To the subordinate captain this was betrayal in one of its highest forms; Whitenburg had openly slapped him in the face and spat on their friendship by that act of tenderness towards their enemy. The younger man just wasn't able to fathom the reasons or motives for doing this to the Vice Foreign Minister, a girl that did nothing but preach peach and unity. Of course, OZ was about unity as well, just a different kind that held different methods. Things between them were never going to be the same from that point on; there would always be a chasm in their relationship.

The man looked up in time to catch the general staring at him for a moment before directing his attention back to the girl's prone form. "It'll be some time before she wakes up," he began with a commanding tone, "but when she does, I expect you to welcome her. Ist das frei, _**Kapitan**_?" 

Defeated, the other nodded in consent. If he disobeyed, it would be an open act of treachery, holding severe consequences and retributions. He did not want to think of the punishment for such an act; they were too horrid to think about. Left with no other options, the younger officer did an about-face and headed for the elevator with a pained expression etched on his face. On the table, the young girl's head stirred and a tear escaped her closed lids, falling and landing on the floor just inches from the speck of blood that had yet to dry.

-to be continued-  


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

I thought that I'd never get this chapter out, but I guess I was wrong. Well, I hope that you're enjoying it so far and I'm sorry if it's moving a bit slowly. After some thinking I've decided to put this story on hold for a while until I complete My Ojousan first. So don't expect another chapter for quite a few more months, okay? 

German Words:

Aber: but  
Brechen Sie das Projekt ab: terminate the project  
Wie bitte?: pardon?  
Jene arroganten Bastarde: those arrogant bastards  
Helfen Sie mir: help me  
Ich lehne ab, Unbotmassigkeit zuzulassen: I refuse to tolerate insubordination  
Ist das frei, Kapitan?: is that clear, captain?  
Nein: no  
Sie storrischer Dummkopf: you stubborn fool

  



End file.
